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The majority of Europeans want homegrown renewable energy over imported fossil fuels, a new survey suggests.

They are also distrustful of both the US and Russia to meet Europe’s energy needs, according to the data from research agency Opinium, commissioned by the Secure Energy Project.

It comes ahead of the European Commission’s anticipated announcement today (6 May), detailing how the EU will phase out Russian oil and gas imports.

“The data sends a resounding message,” says Sara Ayech, managing director of the Secure Energy Project, an organisation which works to accelerate the renewable energy transition.

“Europeans want clean, secure, and affordable energy they can trust – and they want it built at home.”

Three-quarters of Europeans want more renewables

The poll surveyed nationally representative samples of people in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, and the UK.

Across all six countries, more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of respondents say their country should prioritise investment in domestic renewable energy over imported fossil fuels. 

Nearly half (48 per cent) strongly agree. Even in Germany, where neutrality in this debate is most common, 70 per cent agree with prioritising renewables.

It chimes with recent findings that 89 per cent of the world’s population want climate action – they just don’t realise they’re in a silent majority.

Less than a fifth of Europeans trust Trump to deliver energy

A distrust of Vladimir Putin is to be expected, and more than four in five respondents (83 per cent) say they do not trust the Russian President to reliably supply their energy. 

Nearly four in five (78 per cent) say they distrust Russia as a whole on this front.  

More surprisingly, perhaps, is that a similar percentage distrusts US President Donald Trump, too. Only 19 per cent said they trust Trump to supply their energy. On average, more than half of respondents (57 per cent) say they distrust the United States.

When asked to choose between the US and Russia as an energy supplier, more people chose ‘other’ or ‘don’t know’ than either of the two options – with a combined total of 49 per cent selecting neither.

The US was still preferred over Russia, however, by 39 per cent of respondents. Only 12 per cent chose Russia.

Poland stood out for its emphatic distrust of Russia. In the Central European country, which is fighting off Russian interference in its upcoming presidential election, distrust of Russia is nearly universal (91 per cent), with distrust of Putin climbing even higher (94 per cent).

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Poll sends a ‘message’ to the EU about energy sources

The EU has pledged to cut all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, and is due to publish a roadmap of how it will get there. 

Many expect the Commission may lean more heavily on US liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace Russian supply. 

But, the Secure Energy Project  says, the polling shows that while the US is seen as a more acceptable partner than Russia, Europeans remain wary of dependence on any foreign fossil fuels.

“We’ve seen the consequences of relying on volatile fossil fuel markets,” says Ayech. “This is Europe’s moment to lead, to build a system that’s democratic, resilient, and renewable.”

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